On 9th October 2012, Malala Yusafzai was shot on the left side of her forehead by extremists. Two of her friends were also shot. Why was she shot? Because she believe in the right of education of every child, especially that of women and girls.
Yesterday, 12th July 2013, was when she delivered a speech in the UN on the rights of education for every child in this world. Here is her speech in case you have missed it :
Dear brothers and sisters, do remember one thing. Malala day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights. There are hundreds of human rights activists and social workers who are not only speaking for human rights, but who are struggling to achieve their goals of education, peace and equality. Thousands of people have been killed by the terrorists and millions have been injured. I am just one of them.
So here I stand... one girl among many. I speak – not for myself, but for all girls and boys. I raise up my voice – not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.Those who have fought for their rights Their right to live in peace.Their right to be treated with dignity.Their right to equality of opportunity.Their right to be educated.
Dear Friends, on the 9th of October 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends too. They thought that the bullets would silence us. But they failed. And then, out of that silence came, thousands of voices. The terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our ambitions but nothing changed in my life except this: Weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born. I am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. My dreams are the same.
Dear sisters and brothers, I am not against anyone. Neither am I here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorists group. I am here to speak up for the right of education of every child. I want education for the sons and the daughters of all the extremists especially the Taliban.
I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me. I would not shoot him. This is the compassion that I have learnt from Muhammad-the prophet of mercy, Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha.
This is the legacy of change that I have inherited from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This is the philosophy of non-violence that I have learnt from Gandhi Jee, Bacha Khan and Mother Teresa. And this is the forgiveness that I have learnt from my mother and father. This is what my soul is telling me, be peaceful and love everyone.
Dear sisters and brothers, we realise the importance of light when we see darkness. We realise the importance of our voice when we are silenced. In the same way, when we were in Swat, the north of Pakistan, we realised the importance of pens and books when we saw the guns.
The wise saying, “The pen is mightier than sword” was true. The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women frightens them. And that is why they killed 14 innocent medical students in the recent attack in Quetta. And that is why they killed many female teachers and polio workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. That is why they are blasting schools every day. Because they were and they are afraid of change, afraid of the equality that we will bring into our society.
I remember that there was a boy in our school who was asked by a journalist, “Why are the Taliban against education?” He answered very simply. By pointing to his book he said, “A Talib doesn't know what is written inside this book.”
They think that God is a tiny, little conservative being who would send girls to the hell just because of going to school. The terrorists are misusing the name of Islam and Pashtun society for their own personal benefits. Pakistan is peace-loving democratic country. Pashtuns want education for their daughters and sons. And Islam is a religion of peace, humanity and brotherhood. Islam says that it is not only each child's right to get education, rather it is their duty and responsibility.
Honourable Secretary General, peace is necessary for education. In many parts of the world especially Pakistan and Afghanistan; terrorism, wars and conflicts stop children to go to their schools. We are really tired of these wars. Women and children are suffering in many parts of the world in many ways. In India, innocent and poor children are victims of child labour. Many schools have been destroyed in Nigeria. People in Afghanistan have been affected by the hurdles of extremism for decades. Young girls have to do domestic child labour and are forced to get married at early age. Poverty, ignorance, injustice, racism and the deprivation of basic rights are the main problems faced by both men and women.
Dear fellows, today I am focusing on women's rights and girls' education because they are suffering the most. There was a time when women social activists asked men to stand up for their rights. But, this time, we will do it by ourselves. I am not telling men to step away from speaking for women's rights rather I am focusing on women to be independent to fight for themselves.
Dear sisters and brothers, now it's time to speak up. So today, we call upon the world leaders to change their strategic policies in favour of peace and prosperity. We call upon the world leaders that all the peace deals must protect women and children's rights. A deal that goes against the dignity of women and their rights is unacceptable. We call upon all governments to ensure free compulsory education for every child all over the world. We call upon all governments to fight against terrorism and violence, to protect children from brutality and harm. We call upon the developed nations to support the expansion of educational opportunities for girls in the developing world. We call upon all communities to be tolerant – to reject prejudice based on cast, creed, sect, religion or gender. To ensure freedom and equality for women so that they can flourish. We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave – to embrace the strength within themselves and realise their full potential.
Dear brothers and sisters, we want schools and education for every child's bright future. We will continue our journey to our destination of peace and education for everyone. No one can stop us. We will speak for our rights and we will bring change through our voice. We must believe in the power and the strength of our words. Our words can change the world.
Because we are all together, united for the cause of education. And if we want to achieve our goal, then let us empower ourselves with the weapon of knowledge and let us shield ourselves with unity and togetherness.
Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget that millions of people are suffering from poverty, injustice and ignorance. We must not forget that millions of children are out of schools. We must not forget that our sisters and brothers are waiting for a bright peaceful future.
So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.
One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.
Education is the only solution. Education First.
It was a speech written by a 16-year old and it was beautifully written. I must admire her courage because noone gets shot in the head by extremists, lives to tell the tale and then create awareness in front of the whole world. I admire her strength for being able to put aside her fears and talk about women rights and tell the world that women don't need men to stand up for them anymore; they are independent enough to stand up for their own rights now. While this is a huge achievement for women all around the world, this is also a wake up call. This is a wake up call for all those women, who stand behind men, who expect men to do all their work, who sit at home because they are too weak to fight and stand up for education and earn money for themselves. Those women, they are ones who need to have faith in themselves and who need to stand up and say - It is my right to be equal to men. It is my right to receive education. It is my right to live.
There are so many women in Pakistan, and all over the world, who don't believe in equality and education. They believe in marriages at the age of 15-16 (an age when even high school isn't over). They believe education and going out into the world is for men. Women are supposed to stay home and make food for their men, tend to their children and look after the household. To these women, I speak - you need to stop undermining yourselves. You need to realise that your soul and your mind is equal to men. You need to get up, and you need to go out into the world as men's equal. You need to step into the world, confident, bold and daring. Your children need education as well. Your boys and your girls. Don't deny them that right. Don't deny YOURSELF that right.
Education is the right of every human, man or woman. Education is how we learn. How we become civilized. How we know the difference between a pen and a sword. Education is how we truly know who we are and what our purpose is. Malala was right - the Taliban and the extremists are scared. They are scared that when every child in this world is educated, they will know that peace is the solution to all the problems, not guns and murders. They will know that the extremists have been teaching the wrong Islam. They will know that it is the Taliban who should be taught a lesson, not the innocent people being killed everyday. And that is why they are afraid. They are afraid that their monopoly in this game of power and ruling will be over. Most of all, they are afraid of the women who will stand up for their rights as equals (something the extremists can never be able to tolerate).
Today, Malala is an inspiration for all the women around the world. Yesterday #Malala was the hottest trend. But when I started scrolling through it, I found a couple of tweets against Malala, saying she just did all this to settle herself and her family abroad, or that she is just saying fancy words in front of the UN. To them I say - her fancy words are bringing awareness. Her fancy words are making people think and her fancy words will bring about gender equality and educational rights. And to people who think she's just doing it all for fame, I ask you this - does any of you like getting shot in the head for fame? Does any of you like putting your family in danger just to gain popularity? No. Well neither did she. She was just a girl who was a victim of extremism and has chosen to be brave and spread awareness instead of hiding in her home, like any of us would have done. She is truly a symbol of strength, bravery and hope.
I hope all the women in the world, and especially in Pakistan, learned something from her speech and will stand up for themselves and for all the women, and will strive for education under all circumstances.
Yesterday, 12th July 2013, was when she delivered a speech in the UN on the rights of education for every child in this world. Here is her speech in case you have missed it :
Dear brothers and sisters, do remember one thing. Malala day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights. There are hundreds of human rights activists and social workers who are not only speaking for human rights, but who are struggling to achieve their goals of education, peace and equality. Thousands of people have been killed by the terrorists and millions have been injured. I am just one of them.
So here I stand... one girl among many. I speak – not for myself, but for all girls and boys. I raise up my voice – not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.Those who have fought for their rights Their right to live in peace.Their right to be treated with dignity.Their right to equality of opportunity.Their right to be educated.
Dear Friends, on the 9th of October 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends too. They thought that the bullets would silence us. But they failed. And then, out of that silence came, thousands of voices. The terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our ambitions but nothing changed in my life except this: Weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born. I am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. My dreams are the same.
Dear sisters and brothers, I am not against anyone. Neither am I here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorists group. I am here to speak up for the right of education of every child. I want education for the sons and the daughters of all the extremists especially the Taliban.
I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me. I would not shoot him. This is the compassion that I have learnt from Muhammad-the prophet of mercy, Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha.
This is the legacy of change that I have inherited from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This is the philosophy of non-violence that I have learnt from Gandhi Jee, Bacha Khan and Mother Teresa. And this is the forgiveness that I have learnt from my mother and father. This is what my soul is telling me, be peaceful and love everyone.
Dear sisters and brothers, we realise the importance of light when we see darkness. We realise the importance of our voice when we are silenced. In the same way, when we were in Swat, the north of Pakistan, we realised the importance of pens and books when we saw the guns.
The wise saying, “The pen is mightier than sword” was true. The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women frightens them. And that is why they killed 14 innocent medical students in the recent attack in Quetta. And that is why they killed many female teachers and polio workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. That is why they are blasting schools every day. Because they were and they are afraid of change, afraid of the equality that we will bring into our society.
I remember that there was a boy in our school who was asked by a journalist, “Why are the Taliban against education?” He answered very simply. By pointing to his book he said, “A Talib doesn't know what is written inside this book.”
They think that God is a tiny, little conservative being who would send girls to the hell just because of going to school. The terrorists are misusing the name of Islam and Pashtun society for their own personal benefits. Pakistan is peace-loving democratic country. Pashtuns want education for their daughters and sons. And Islam is a religion of peace, humanity and brotherhood. Islam says that it is not only each child's right to get education, rather it is their duty and responsibility.
Honourable Secretary General, peace is necessary for education. In many parts of the world especially Pakistan and Afghanistan; terrorism, wars and conflicts stop children to go to their schools. We are really tired of these wars. Women and children are suffering in many parts of the world in many ways. In India, innocent and poor children are victims of child labour. Many schools have been destroyed in Nigeria. People in Afghanistan have been affected by the hurdles of extremism for decades. Young girls have to do domestic child labour and are forced to get married at early age. Poverty, ignorance, injustice, racism and the deprivation of basic rights are the main problems faced by both men and women.
Dear fellows, today I am focusing on women's rights and girls' education because they are suffering the most. There was a time when women social activists asked men to stand up for their rights. But, this time, we will do it by ourselves. I am not telling men to step away from speaking for women's rights rather I am focusing on women to be independent to fight for themselves.
Dear sisters and brothers, now it's time to speak up. So today, we call upon the world leaders to change their strategic policies in favour of peace and prosperity. We call upon the world leaders that all the peace deals must protect women and children's rights. A deal that goes against the dignity of women and their rights is unacceptable. We call upon all governments to ensure free compulsory education for every child all over the world. We call upon all governments to fight against terrorism and violence, to protect children from brutality and harm. We call upon the developed nations to support the expansion of educational opportunities for girls in the developing world. We call upon all communities to be tolerant – to reject prejudice based on cast, creed, sect, religion or gender. To ensure freedom and equality for women so that they can flourish. We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave – to embrace the strength within themselves and realise their full potential.
Dear brothers and sisters, we want schools and education for every child's bright future. We will continue our journey to our destination of peace and education for everyone. No one can stop us. We will speak for our rights and we will bring change through our voice. We must believe in the power and the strength of our words. Our words can change the world.
Because we are all together, united for the cause of education. And if we want to achieve our goal, then let us empower ourselves with the weapon of knowledge and let us shield ourselves with unity and togetherness.
Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget that millions of people are suffering from poverty, injustice and ignorance. We must not forget that millions of children are out of schools. We must not forget that our sisters and brothers are waiting for a bright peaceful future.
So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.
One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.
Education is the only solution. Education First.
It was a speech written by a 16-year old and it was beautifully written. I must admire her courage because noone gets shot in the head by extremists, lives to tell the tale and then create awareness in front of the whole world. I admire her strength for being able to put aside her fears and talk about women rights and tell the world that women don't need men to stand up for them anymore; they are independent enough to stand up for their own rights now. While this is a huge achievement for women all around the world, this is also a wake up call. This is a wake up call for all those women, who stand behind men, who expect men to do all their work, who sit at home because they are too weak to fight and stand up for education and earn money for themselves. Those women, they are ones who need to have faith in themselves and who need to stand up and say - It is my right to be equal to men. It is my right to receive education. It is my right to live.
There are so many women in Pakistan, and all over the world, who don't believe in equality and education. They believe in marriages at the age of 15-16 (an age when even high school isn't over). They believe education and going out into the world is for men. Women are supposed to stay home and make food for their men, tend to their children and look after the household. To these women, I speak - you need to stop undermining yourselves. You need to realise that your soul and your mind is equal to men. You need to get up, and you need to go out into the world as men's equal. You need to step into the world, confident, bold and daring. Your children need education as well. Your boys and your girls. Don't deny them that right. Don't deny YOURSELF that right.
Education is the right of every human, man or woman. Education is how we learn. How we become civilized. How we know the difference between a pen and a sword. Education is how we truly know who we are and what our purpose is. Malala was right - the Taliban and the extremists are scared. They are scared that when every child in this world is educated, they will know that peace is the solution to all the problems, not guns and murders. They will know that the extremists have been teaching the wrong Islam. They will know that it is the Taliban who should be taught a lesson, not the innocent people being killed everyday. And that is why they are afraid. They are afraid that their monopoly in this game of power and ruling will be over. Most of all, they are afraid of the women who will stand up for their rights as equals (something the extremists can never be able to tolerate).
Today, Malala is an inspiration for all the women around the world. Yesterday #Malala was the hottest trend. But when I started scrolling through it, I found a couple of tweets against Malala, saying she just did all this to settle herself and her family abroad, or that she is just saying fancy words in front of the UN. To them I say - her fancy words are bringing awareness. Her fancy words are making people think and her fancy words will bring about gender equality and educational rights. And to people who think she's just doing it all for fame, I ask you this - does any of you like getting shot in the head for fame? Does any of you like putting your family in danger just to gain popularity? No. Well neither did she. She was just a girl who was a victim of extremism and has chosen to be brave and spread awareness instead of hiding in her home, like any of us would have done. She is truly a symbol of strength, bravery and hope.
I hope all the women in the world, and especially in Pakistan, learned something from her speech and will stand up for themselves and for all the women, and will strive for education under all circumstances.
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